Starter wiring

So I replaced my starter on my 97 lumina 3.1 engine. Well I took pics of it and when I go to put the cables back on the starter I see the positive and negative cable. my question is on the starter do the negative and positive cable but do I put them on the same stud on the the starter solenoid? I'm asking bc when I did yesterday the lights came on in the car but when I took it back off after the battery sparked I put it back on but put the negative cable on a different part of the engine. When I went to install the battery I put the positive cable on first and when I went to put the negative cable on it sparked but got no lights inside the vehicle. Can anyone tell me what to do because the only reason I say they are meant to be on the same stud is because the holes are the same size and that's the only place they fit perfect. I just need clarification about what I am missing regarding the wiring. Thank you.

The pic I posted is a picture I took of it before I ever started working on it the top stud is the one I'm referring to.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180112/79df18ae4bfe5e17928150f64d67a97b.jpg

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I've never seen a negative cable at a starter-- Starter grounds through its body as mounted back to system and ground wire from engine block to battery negative. You have NO negative cable at the starter- and don't try to attach the cable in question anywhere else- it has to be a hot lead....

A spark when you attached a positive cable to battery is to be expected now days- with modules that come to life etc.

Wire it like your photo.

It is hard to see- but is there a load wire coming off the top post? This may be why you are confused- your car may be wired so that the vehicle load comes from solenoid post instead of battery- if so, yes, attach it to the top post along with the battery hot cable.

The purple wire is your starter hot lead from your ignition switch- it becomes 12 positive when key is turned to "start" and tells starter to energize the coil which switches 12v to the starter through the big wires.

^^^ Thanks. You saved me a lot of typing.

The large post has the heavy cable that goes to batt +, and a smaller cable that powers the rest of the car. They both have to be on the solenoid + post, just as in the photos.

^^^ Thanks. You saved me a lot of typing.

The large post has the heavy cable that goes to batt +, and a smaller cable that powers the rest of the car. They both have to be on the solenoid + post, just as in the photos.So the two cables just can't be touching on the solenoid + post right? What can I put between them to prevent any arcing?

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So the two cables just can't be touching on the solenoid + post right? What can I put between them to prevent any arcing?
OF COURSE they touch. The one cable supplies power to the other cable. The car won't work if the smaller cable doesn't get power from the big one.

JUST DO IT LIKE YOUR OWN PHOTO SHOWS.

There are only two wires that go to the starter, your positive red cable from the battery(which goes on the large stud of the solenoid at 12 o'clock).....the other is the smaller purple wire that goes to the small terminal on the solenoid(usually labelled "S" terminal) at about 4 o'clock, which comes from the ignition switch, and is only powered when the lock cylinder is in the crank position....

There may be some wires with large eyelets that attach to the same stud as the Red battery cable.....these usually go to to fuseable links that feed power to circuits in the car....

There is no ground wire that goes to the starter....the starter is grounded by the bolts attaching the housing to the block.......

The neg battery cable from the battery does not go to the starter, it is attached to the block by a bolt....

There are only two wires that go to the starter, your positive red cable from the battery(which goes on the large stud of the solenoid at 12 o'clock).....the other is the smaller purple wire that goes to the small terminal on the solenoid(usually labelled "S" terminal) at about 4 o'clock, which comes from the ignition switch, and is only powered when the lock cylinder is in the crank position....

There may be some wires with large eyelets that attach to the same stud as the Red battery cable.....these usually go to to fuseable links that feed power to circuits in the car....

There is no ground wire that goes to the starter....the starter is grounded by the bolts attaching the housing to the block.......

The neg battery cable from the battery does not go to the starter, it is attached to the block by a bolt....Ok I only got worried because when I went to hook up the battery the first time the negative post slipped off the wrench and hit the battery terminal and smoked so I thought I hooked something up wrong. So when side post cables touch the battery should I expect a spark every time? Sorry for all the questions I just don't want to blow up my only car lol

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So when side post cables touch the battery should I expect a spark every time?


Not sure what you mean here.......if you ever disconnect a battery, you always disconnect the neg terminal first and then the positive.....when you go to re-connect the battery, you connect the positive first, and then the negative......

If you are connecting the negtive terminal and the wrench slips and touch the positive terminal/cable, yes you will get a huge spark because you are shorting the battery out.....

After you hook up the positive cable, when you initially connect the negative cable, there will be a small spark, as brcidd said, because modules are waking up causing current(spark) to flow....